Their field...
caught by Jack Needham as the innings closed on 155.
Pick of the Greens bowlers was George Ridings, 5 – 24. ●●HAWK GREEN v TINTWISTLE BISSENDEN, CUP FINAL
On Sunday the Green made the short journey from the Green to Hazel Grove for the Bissenden Cup Final, their opponents Tintwistle.
Once again the Greens skipper, Josh Unsworth, won the toss and elected to bat.
Josh Hampson and Paul Needham opened the batting against the Tintwistle attack of Andrew Harris and Alex Brown.
Harris was first to strike having Hampson adjudged LBW for 5, 16-1.
Next to the crease was Peter Richards and he and Needham took the score past 50 with Needham playing a very watchful innings. Richards had shown his intent to take the attack to the bowlers but he was caught behind off Harris for 24, 57-2.
Ben Littler and Needham both understood the need for wickets in hand for the consolidation of the innings and played very solidly in defence of their wickets while still playing some delightful shots.
It was a change of bowling that created the next wicket as Matthew Robinson had Needham brilliantly caught by Simon Barrow for 37, 93-3.
Unfortunately Barrow split the webbing in his hand and was take to hospital. Next batsman to join Littler was Jack Needham fresh from his heroics from the day before and he did not disappoint the huge crowd as both batsmen raised the tempo and added 54 valuable runs before Littler was caught and bowled by Stuart Rose for 35, 147-4.
Skipper Unsworth and Needham kept up the tempo and added 37 runs before the fall of Unsworth LBW to Ryan Nixon for 16, 185-5.
The Gren tale wagged through Lee Hallas, 12, and Sam Clarke 13 not out and following their allotted overs the final score was a creditable of 231-9. Would this be enough? Unsworth and Jack Needham opened the attack for the Green against the Tintwistle opening pair of Matthew Robinson and Karl Handforth, and both batsmen struggled against very accurate bowling and it was not long before the inevitable as Unsworth had Robinson caught behind by Hampson for 5, 16-1.
Handforth and incoming batsman Damian Weatherhead gave the Tinwistle faithful a glimmer of hope as they took the score to 50 when Weatherhead was caught Unsworth bowled Harris for 11.
At this point Unsworth changed the bowlers – and the course of the game – as he introduced Logan Jeffs and George Ridings to the Tintwistle batsmen with dramatic effect as Tintwistle lost their next 8 wickets for just 13 runs to close on 63 all out.
During this mayhem credit must be given to the bowlers but most of all to the Hawk Green fielders who were quite outstanding during the whole game, and in particular during the 10 overs when Tinwistle were blown apart.
At the presentation the man-of-the-match trophy was awarded to Logan Jeffs for the remarkable figures of 7.3 overs, three maidens, six wickets for 12 runs, by league president Alan Johnson.
The Bissenden Cup was accepted by skipper Josh Unsworth from league chairman Karl Williams.
Next week the Green are away to second placed Broadbottom from 1pm.